She was also a goddess of childbirth, and the protectress of Virginity and the girl child up to the age of marriage.

According to the Homeric account and also to Hesiod she was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was the sister of Apollo. According to Pausanias, Artemis was a daughter of Demeter, and not ofLeto.

Artemis as the sister of Apollo, is a kind of female Apollo.

Artemis is moreover, like Apollo, unmarried; she is a maiden divinity never conquered by love. The priests and priestesses devoted to her service were bound to live pure and chaste, and trangressions of their vows of chastity were severely punished.

When Apollo was regarded as identical with the sun or Helios, nothing was more natural than that his sister should be regarded as Selene or the moon, and accordingly the Greek Artemis is, at least in later times, the goddess of the moon. Phoebe was one of the many names she was called. The name Phoebe means the “light one” or “bright one”.

Another earlier version of the Goddess is the Arcadian. According to it, Artemis is a goddess of the nymphs.

There was no connexion between the Arcadian Artemis and Apollo. Her epithets in Arcadia are nearly all derived from the mountains, rivers, and lakes. Thus she was the representative of some part or power of nature. Also according to the Arcadian version, Artemis hunted with her twenty nymphs, who accompanied her during the chase, and with sixty others, daughters of Oceanus, with whom she held her dances in the forests of the mountains.

The representations of the Greek Artemis in works of art are different accordingly as she is represented either as a huntress, or as the goddess of the moon; yet in either case she appears as a youthful and vigorous divinity.

~As the huntress, her attributes are the bow, quiver, and arrows, or a spear, stags, and dogs.

~As the goddess of the moon, she wears a long robe which reaches down to her feet, a veil covers her head, and above her forehead rises the crescent of the moon. In her hand she often appears holding a torch.

On one of her birthdays Artemis asked for Six wishes from Zeus, his father. These wishes were.

To be able to live life chaste.

To be able to be a lifelong bachelorette and never marry.

A bow and arrow like that of Apollo’s

Hunting dogs to assist her hunting.

Stags to lead her chariot.

And 80 virgin nymphs to be her hunting companions.

Zeus was amused by Artemis’ wishes, and being her good father, he granted her each wish she asked for.

Artemis would never marry, and would be chaste for all eternity. She roamed with her hunting dogs, nymphs, and her stags, hunting all throughout the mountains, where she resided.

Appearances of Artemis in other myths and in Homer’s “Iliad”:

•In the myth of Actaeon, he was a hunting companion of Artemis ; at some point, he saw the goddess naked bathing in a spring and tried to rape her. As a punishment, Artemis transformed him into a stag and his hounds killed him.

•In the myth of Orion which has various versions, Orion was also a hunting companion of Artemis and the only person to have won her heart. However, he was accidentally killed either by the goddess or by a scorpion which was sent by Gaia.

In another myth, Zeus, changing his form to resemble Artemis, managed to seduce Callisto, one of Artemis’ hunting attendants. As a companion of Artemis, she took a vow of chastity. Zeus appeared to her disguised as Artemis and they had sexual relationships. As a result of this encounter she conceived a son, Arcas.

•In some versions of the story of Adonis, Artemis sent a wild boar to kill him because he was a better hunter than she. In another version, Adonis was not killed by Artemis, but by Ares, as punishment for being with Aphrodite.

In Homer’s “Iliad”, Artemis may have been represented as a supporter of Troy because her brother Apollo was the patron god of the city. At the Greek’s journey to Troy, Artemis becalmed the sea and stopped the journey until an oracle came and said they could win the goddess’ heart by sacrificing Iphigenia, Agamemnon’s daughter.

Irina dixit: “I’m a blogger. My recent passions are writing poetry and photography. Now and then I write a story… The ups and downs of my life are reflected in my poems and short stories, and the mood of the poems ranges from dark to bright and from serious to downright silly. Laughter is to me like the air I breathe. I’m a fighter and don’t give in easily to misfortune’s impact”.

I want to thank these three bloggers and suggest you to please make sure to check out their blogs and follow them if you haven´t still done so.

Note: For the three awards, I will nominate blogs I have recently came across and like, recent followers and/or plussers. Also, I am changing the logos so that way I can include new awards among mine… And, finally, I will follow the nomination process without answering questions or mentioning facts about me….

Ares is the god of war, son of Zeus and Hera. According to Homer he was not in good terms with Zeus and Hera. He was shown as being in humiliating situations. Ares fought for Hector in Trojan war. His weapon is spear. At the end of war Achilles dies shot in the heel.

Arumughan also known as Skanda/Murugan/Karthikeya is the god of war and son of Shiva/Mahadev and Parvati. Skanda got angry at his parents and went away from home after he was humiliated in a game between him and Ganesha. Skanda fought for Banasura against Krishna and Balarama in the fight for Usha of Tezpur. Usha in Sanskrit means dawn. Helen means shining light. Weapon of Skanda is spear or Vel. Soon after this war, Krishna dies shot in the heel.

Yavanas who came to Mahabharata war along the armies of Kamboja king Sudakshina was Greeks. Greeks are called Yavanas in India.

Brhaspati was lord of Jupiter and his wife was Tara. Ashokasundari – goddess of forest, daughter of Shiva and Parvati.

Brhaspati is the teacher of Indra (thunder bolt god) and Devas.

Chandra (Soma) or Moon god had an affair with Tara and had a son Budha (lord of Mercury).

Budha later founds out his mother affair and becomes an enemy of Chandra or Moon.

There was a war between Jupiter and Moon. Shukra (lord of Venus and guru of Asuras) came to fight on Moon’s side and hence the Asuras too joined Moon’s side. Indra and Devas came to fight on Jupiter’s side. Fearing the world is going to end, Brahma intervened and called for peace.

Chandra gives the child Budha to Rohini and Krittika, two of his wives, to raise.

Budha or Mercury marries Ila. Ila is a transgender who changes sex and as a man she is called Sudyumna.

Transgender people uses planet Mercury as a symbol.

Dionysus is called a false man. He is said to have 2 mothers. Father is Zeus. Dionysus holds a thyrsus, grapevine. He is shown riding chariot, usually by exotic beasts such as lions or tigers

Budha holds a sceptre and lotus and rides a carpet or an eagle or a chariot drawn by lions. Blessing of Budha is said to be good for song-writers, wine-tasters, and any profession concerned to discuss matters of love, wealth, sensual pleasures, art, music and beauty.

Hello Aquileana,
WOW! ….80 virgin nymphs to be her hunting companions? I was amused by this just as Zeus was. I think it’s the ordering of the list, perhaps. Has she saved the biggest request for last? This is such a beautiful tribute to Artemis and her chasity; is it also her reign and domain over childbearing and birth? Did I read that right? Thank you, I enjoyed reading this very much! Ka

You read it right, dear Ka… Chaste Goddess of Hunting who domained childbearing and birth…. The vigins nymps highlight the force of the vow of chastity, as even if being Artemis surrounded by them, they would all remain chaste… Thanks a lot for dropping by!!!. All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

It’s amazing to read about all the intricacies of the Goddesses in Mythology terms. Their lives were extremely hard and complicated because of the other siblings or relatives with capricious and vane lives. Great post Aquileana! My best regards for you! 🙂 ❤

Such a wonderful strong woman Artemis is! She seemed to be able to do exactly as she pleased, unlike most of the other Greek gods/godesses. So well researched as always dear Aquileana. I enjoyed Irina’s poem very much. Best wishes to you and I hope you have a very happy weekend! ❤ xx 🙂

You are right, dear Clare… She was certainly a determined Goddess, at least when it comes to her particular purposes… well said!. Thanks a lot for dropping by. 🙂 Hugs. All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

I’ve always like Diana and was happy to learn more about her. The many pictures are very different of how the artist’s thought she should look. Thanks also for sharing Irina’s poem – I really liked it.

Another splendid post and some very interesting info. Artemis is one that I never taught and don’t remember reading about in school. You always choose such great pieces of art to accompany your posts too, Aquileana, which helps to make them even more wonderful. And I loved Irina’s poem as well. I hope all is well in your little corner of the world. Hugs, N 🙂 ❤

Dear Aquileana, I am amazed at the beauty of these goddesses you enlighten us about! It is interesting that her companions had to be virgins and the priests and priestesses devoted to her service were bound to live pure and chaste…Wonderful!!

Equally wonderful is the poem of Irina, which compliments your post perfectly. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

It is interesting, indeed… Besides it could even be considered vows related to those ones of Catholic orthodoxy, don´t you think?… At least when it comes to Church!… Thanks a lot for dropping by, dear Balroop. I much appreciate your words. Sending hugs. Aquileana 😀

Thank you so very much! How kind of you. I also enjoyed reading about Artemis. I didn’t know she was Goddess of the Moon? Love it. I’ve been keeping my ears open for something that would be a good name of my film production company. I think I just found it! Thank you my dear. 🙂

Hi Kai … Semele is technically the Greek Goddess of the Moon.
Artemis was apollo´s sister and as Apollo was the God of Sun , she was related to the Moon, in that sense.
So you chose Artemis as name for your film production company… Of I were you I´d probably choose Athena… Regardless i need to let you know that one of the teams of the Celebrity apprentice was called Athena and it was Joan River´s season, so I am sure that people would relate Athena to that show.. Wink
Thanks a lot for dropping by 🙂 All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

O Artemis!
Goddess of Hunting
Protector of animals, trees and flowers
Goddess of Virginity, Goddess of Light
As silvery moon you joined Orion;
In the darkness, your love
Forever will shine bright
Lend us your strength, allay our fears
Lead us safely through the night.

To me, that represents Artemis best. The goddess of natural balance, who hunts and at the same time protects those she hunts. This is the basic idea of natural sustainability, to use the resources of nature wisely.

That is certainly a good point…. I’ll owe you the answer for the moment and will come back If I come across anything… Regardless, my intuitive response would probably tend to relate moderate savagery with women. Maybe a subtle misogynous thought which either way makes sure to safeguard women of lewd behavior, invoking chastity vows. And by that we assume that even being surrounded by eighty nymphs, Artemis and those nymphs themselves would remain chaste!…
Thanks for dropping by, dear Georgia. All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

Such a wonderful painting to start the post with! The Goddess of Hunting with her main attributes, a delicate figure, posing elegantly. And ”Diana’s Maidens” by Edward Robert Hughes is even more delicate. I like the sense of movement in this panting – Diana is eager to protect her nakedness from prying eyes, possibly Actaeon’s. A lovely selection of artwork.

I’m intrigued by “Henrietta von Nassau as Diana”. Who was Henrietta? I suppose the painter wanted to pay his model a compliment. Another painting I find intriguing is “Diana” by Domenico Guidobono. Who is the man peering from the bush? Could it be Orion?

Very enjoyable post, dear Aquileana. Well researched, as always. And I feel very privileged, honoured and humbled by your invitation to contribute a poem on Artemis, which made me do some research as well and I became aware of the intricate stories of Greek Gods and Goddesses that you so skillfully present in your posts. It was not easy to choose the myths for the poem, but I hope I have done Artemis justice.

Thank you once again for the marvellous work you do and for featuring my poem.

Thanks for bringing your interesting thoughts into the spotlight!
It was a huge pleasure and you I hope we´ll do a collaboration again in the future, dear Irina… Many hugs and all the very best to you. Aquileana ⭐

I prefer the paintings with a dressed or semi-clothed Artemis because I can’t help thinking how uncomfortable it would be, even for a goddess, to hunt in a naked state. Do the original myths say that the Gods were naked, or is this just the artist’s imagination at work?

I am not sure but tend to think that they should have been dressed as well, dear Gallivanta… Good points here as to the paintings and the way Artemis was depicted… Thank you very much 🙂 All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

This is an excellent post, Aquileana, which follows on from and extends beautifully the last post you did about Callisto. I’m fascinated by the different representations of Artemis and her various attributes. It’s also interesting to read of the different myths in which she appears. And all is presented so well, right down to including Irina’s lovely poem. Thank you for this great post and congratulations on your three awards.

My pleasure, my dear Shehanne (Is this your name?). You’re right about the gorgeous gal and her gorgeous blog, I’ve learnt so much from her wonderful posts. And thank you for mentioning my poem. Cheers 🙂 Irina

Aquileana, what a great post, I wanted to continue reading for much longer. Oh you always test my knowledge about Greek mythology and you always surprise me with new and great posts. Wishing you a great weekend.

I always admired Diana from my kid days perhaps my air- rifle was of Diana make and I respected a hunter :). But this beautiful write- up and lovely pictures have filled up a lot of what I never know about Artemis.
Thank you dear Aquileana. Need to catch- up on your earlier posts.

Thanks a lot for dropping by and for your beautiful comment, dear Dilip!
I am really pleased to know that you liked the post and much appreciate your words!. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

How interesting that Artemis can be the huntress or the moon, depending on the way she is referenced. I am thinking perhaps it is like CB and AP who may be sisters of the stars in one way and also pool swimmers in another way? Hehe 😀 Wonderful words of explanation of Artemis, Aquileana!
Plus, lovely as ever to read Irina’s poem and see reference to her wonderful book. Mythology and poetry do go well together, don’t they?
Happy Friday, Aquileana and Irina ❤ xo

Reblogged this on Angie Mc's Reblog Love and commented:
I know I have said this before, friend, but this is *my fave post yet*! I love the art. As a fan of childbirth, having birthed 3 of my 4 children at home, I appreciate the feminine power and transformation involved. You wrote, “She was also a goddess of childbirth, and the protectress of Virginity and the girl child up to the age of marriage.” Valuable characteristics and traits ❤

an enchanting detail of the Huntress Diana , one of my favorite , if not the favorite goddess. I adore Homer’s Iliad, I certainly found the five wishes of Artemis most interesting. Thank dear Aquileana for another captivating tale of the Gods. Happy week end! ❤ 🙂 Holly

This is beautiful, my friend. Artemis, the goddess of hunting and the protectress of virginity. Now that’s an interesting profile. Hunting, but not letting something be hunted. Now looking at her bow and arrow, wonder, who dared going after virginity in those times. Phoebe is an interesting name (reminds me of “Friends”). You introduce us to characters we didn’t know much about earlier. Apollo yes, Artemis yes now.

I know, I know… Someone mentioned that she might a feminist nowadays… Maybe a lesbian feminist I wonder. surrounded by so many nymphs, you know…
But … Virginity as a vow of chastity would never fit her these days as a virtue…
Thank you very much dear Mahesh for sharing your witty insights here. 🙂
All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀

Artemis’s wishes struck me. Today she would be viewed very much as a feminist (except for the 80 virgin nymphs to be her hunting companions).
Irina Dimitric’s Ode to Artemis is lovely. 🙂
And, Aquileana, such beautiful photos. 🙂

I couldn’t agree more with you… You are right as to her hunting companions though… I am not so sure about chastity vows either. I mean they could be considered as a feminist decision… But I don´t see it quite well 🙂
All the best to you, Carol!, Aquileana 😀

Hi Aquileana Dear!I have just come back from Irina’s blog you suggested;I didn’t regret it,I can always rely on your judgement.Her Artemis poem is a gem in your post!She is so talented and brilliant!

Great your post on Artemis,you have so expansively presented the versatile goddess and her virtues!Well selected works of Art in your rich gallery too!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend,my wonderful friend 🙂 ❤ xoxox

You have so many fans…. You´ll have to come again for a collaboration in the future, dear Irina. ⭐
Thanks again for taking this post to another level with your beautiful poem on Artemis.
Happy day!… Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

Dear Aquileana,
Thank you so much for presenting me to your followers, and I’m delighted at so many positive comments. Consequently, whenever you want me to collaborate with you, I’ll do it gladly.  Have a lovely day. It’s nice and sunny in Sydney at the moment. Hugs ❤ Irina

Thanks dear Doda…. Your words, my greek friend, mean a lot to me .
Irina is amazing, isn’t she?… I am glad that you get to know her blog through this post.
Many hugs and I hope you are still enjoying your free days. I’ll check your blog soon, of course. Hang on!
Love and hugs. Aquileana ⭐

Just a suggestion: Go to Settings>Sharing, and select the checkbox – Front Page, Archive Pages, and Search Results Now if someone visits your blog, he/she may like the post without opening the post separately. It will help you get more likes on the blog. 🙂 Keep up the good work. I love reading your posts 🙂

⭐ This is a very appealing Goddess!
Her chastity keeps her apart from all the incest & other pitfalls of “Gods behaving badly!
She is ahead of her time as a hunter, and drives her own chariot.
Also, thank you to Irina for the lovely poem. It tells the tale of Artemis clearly, a joy to read! ⭐
Have a great upcoming week!

She could totally be considered a feminist as she never married and had children. regardless, she was also the Goddess of Childbirth, which is a quite odd counterpoint!.
Anyhow, thanks for the great feedback, dear Resa. Always a pleasure to read your insights!… Hugs plus best wishes for your day!, Aquileana 😀

Aquileana, your posts are always such a visual and spiritual feast and this one is no exception. However, you are missing, in my opinion at least, the most interesting image of Artemis, which is the one found at Ephesus, in which Artemis is portrayed with multiple breasts, although some argue they are not breasts but decorative motifs. What do you think?. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artemis_of_Ephesus.jpg

How lucky would one be to have Zeus as a dad? I can think of all the birthday wishes I’d likely request. I imagine I’d get into a boatload of trouble as well–always knowing that if things went pear-shaped, you could always give the big guy a ring for a helping hand.
But in truth, your descriptions of Artemis/Diana are splendid and plentiful. The stories that spin around her are enough to keep one entertained and mesmerized for months.
The paintings were a perfect companion as always, Aquileana, and I enjoyed Irina’s poetry as well.
I wish you a lovely week! Cheers to you 🙂

So here comes Shelley, always with her witty thoughts…. I couldn’t even know how to start to ask for wishes either… Regardless, I would never have asked to be able to live life chaste. Why does she wanted those 80 nymphs then … I mean she didn’t even like guys nor gals, as she also decided to remain unmarried… I can´t but wonder which were her reasons!… Thanks for dropping by! … Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

Encyclopedic is your wisdom regarding greek mythology. It would be interesting to see a complete illustrated family tree map of the Greek pantheon, from the gods all the way down to the nature spirits. I guess that would be a very complex thing to create. Many thanks!

And once again you bring a new character into my life ~ someone I’ve never heard of…you’ve got a talent Aquileana that is unmatched and I thank you for this. Artemis, The Goddess of Hunting now has a very special place in my heart. Growing up in a hunting community along with friends and family, there was nothing quite like getting in touch with nature and the land.

And then to find out that Artemis is single, well that moves her up to #1 on my list of the great Goddesses of Greek mythology. What a great day today is 🙂
Cheers to a great week for you ~ take care.

Thanks for the special personal twist on your comment… Your comments are always appreciated, dear Dalo!…
So Artemis is your favorite even above Athena and Aphrodite… Okay, good to know that´s your choice….
I bet you have new posts over there. I´ll visit you soon!. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

It is almost embarrassing to say that I prefer her over Athena because my heart was sent on Athena…and to be honest, since I consider you as close to Aphrodite as humanly possible no one can touch your crown so that will always be mission impossible in my book. So with that logic, my target is now Artemis 🙂 Because in my mind I am thinking “how can she refuse?!?” 🙂
Yes, the mind of an over-confident male. There are a few of us around 😉 Cheers and wish you a great day!

Dear Letizia!… Thanks for pointing out that detail… It is quite remarkable that being the goddess of childbirth, Artemis decided that she would be chaste and never have children. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

Always like Diana/Artemis. She seemed to be a strong independent woman/role model long before the Suffragettes even thought of the concept. The painting by Duch is one I like best.
Lovely post (and congrats on the awards – well deserved!)

Hello Aquileana, I absolutely adore this post about Artemis the huntress. I live in Crete and have a friend whose name is Artemis, she will be delighted to learn about the meaning of her name. She of course is aware it is the name of a Goddess but does not know all the intricate history. Thank you for such wonderful pictures. Have a happy week.

How wonderful to know that your friend will be knowing more about her own name… And I´d love that my name had been Artemis… Even when Athena is my favorite greek goddess. Thanks a lot for dropping by, dear Rita!. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

A fascinating post about one of my favourite Greek deities! I wrote an essay on Artemis for a university course many years ago. This brought it all back to me. I remember looking in great detail at the contradictory roles as goddess of childbirth and chaste, virginal goddess, and the suggestion that she actually had her origins in a pre-Hellenic Mother goddess figure who was de-sexualised with an increasingly patriarchal religious system. 🙂

This is an excellent comment…. You are right… I think that Artemis could be considered a feminist nowadays…
Thanks a lot for dropping by and for your great comment!.
Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

Buongiorno cara Aquileana, A common thread with all the Greek gods and goddesses is never to cross them! Or you’ll be turned into an animal or plant. An enjoyable post of the eternal virgin. 😀
ciao
Luciana

I love the mythology of Artemis and her association with Apollo. Thank you so much for providing so much background on these various Greek gods and goddesses. Your pictures always add so much to the post. I have pinned several of them on Pinterest. Have a great weekend!

Thanks a lot for dropping by, Linnea!
Indeed, she was Apollo’s sister… BTW I love the way the gods and goddesses get related one to the other.
Oh and you reminded me that I am far behind at Pinterest and have to pin images for my last two posts
Happy weekend!. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

I know I am late as usual Aquileana.. but what a story worth reading.. Such an interesting read and captured to perfection by Irnia whose poem weaved the Goddess Artemis’s life so well.. Such a beautiful collaboration 🙂
The art I found breath taking.

I hope you are well Aquileana.. and I wish you a peaceful weekend.. with much love and special thoughts your way..
Hugs Sue xxx ❤ ❤

Hi dear Sue. Thanks a lot for dropping by and for your words here… I am pleased to know that you enjoyed the mythological feature and Irina´s poem…
I am beyond appreciative for your wishes, as they reached my soul and are well timed as well… You are very intuitive! 😀 Big hugs. Aquileana ⭐

I know I do not always catch updates of posts straight away.. but you were in my mind for several days, and I kept thinking I must go see if Aquileana has posted 🙂 .. Keep your chin up as we say.. and sending Mega hugs your way.. xx

I wonder if the virgin nymphs also had to take the vow of chastity. Your research on this subject is exhaustive and interesting. The pictures look rare and exclusive . Awesome job as always Aquileana ☺👍

Dear Sue!… I agree with you… Callisto’s myth is sad indeed and I feel sorry for her as she was punished in many ways… by Artemis and Hera, who were paradoxically women as she was… Thanks for dropping by. I truly appreciate your words. Sending you all my best wishes!. Aquileana 😀

Dear Kourt!… Thank you very much for your kind words… I am very pleased to know that you enjoyed the reading… And, by the way, I also liked Artemis´list of wishes… Even though, I don´t think I´d choose those ones!… 😉 All my best wishes to you… Hugs. Aquileana 🌷

[…] For example, Callisto (a nymph who was in love with Artemis) was deceived by Zeus disguised as Artemis, the goddess of hunting. And in the case of Danae, Zeus turned himself into golden rain, made his way into her chamber, and […]